Sermon Title: “THE ACCEPTABLE LIFE: AN UNSHAKABLE LIFE! Sermon Text: Psalm 15 Introduction: GOOD MORNING TO ALL! FOR THOSE WHO ARE WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME WE ARE NOW STUDYING THE BOOK OF PSALMS UNDER THE THEME “PONDERING THE PSALMS: FINDING MEANING & PIRPOSE IN THE PANDEMIC!” LET US READ PSALM 15 TOGETHER AGAIN! LAST TUESDAY, THE CITY OF BEIRUT WAS ROCKED BY A BIG EXPLOSION THAT SHOOK THE CITY TO ITS CORE! THE EXPLOSION WAS SO LOUD THAT EVEN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES OF LEBANON HEARD THE SOUND OF THE EXPLOSION. AS IF THIS TIME, THE EXPLOSION LEFT 157 DEAD (THEY ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR PEOPLE AMONG THE RUBLES!), MORE THAN 5,000 INJURED/HOSPITALIZED, 300,000 HOMELESS, AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PROPERTIES DAMAGED, & LEBANON’S ECONOMY CRIPPLED! THE PEOPLE OF LEBANON ARE NOW BLAMING THIS TRAGEDY TO THEIR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS & ARE PROTESTING IN THE STREETS & CALLING ON THEM TO RESIGN! ONE LEBANESE SAID THIS EXPLOSION SENT THE NATION 50 YEARS BACKWARDS BECAUSE OF ALL THIS LOSS. INDEED, THIS EXPLOSION HAS SHAKEN THE LEBANESE PEOPLE TO THEIR CORE! CHURCH/FRIENDS, HOW IS YOUR LIFE NOWADAYS IN THIS PANDEMIC? ARE YOU BEING SHAKEN TO THE CORE BY THIS PANDEMIC? UNLIKE THE LEBANON EXPLOSION THAT SHOOK THE NATION ONE TIME, THE COVID VIRUS EXPLOSION IS STILL CONTINUING & IS STILL SHAKING PEOPLE’S LIVES IN A SUBTLE, DECEITFUL, & INSIDIOUS WAY! PERHAPS, SOME OF US ARE SAYING “NO, I’M OKAY! I CAN MANAGE THIS. IM GOOD!’ BUT THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES NOWADAYS DENIES OR CONTRADICTS WHAT WE SAY! TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO STUDY A PRAYER OF DAVID THAT WILL TEACH US HOW TO HAVE AN UNSHAKABLE LIFE! I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT WE TRULY NEED AT THIS TIME! CAN WE PAUSE FOR PRAYER! OUR PSALM TODAY WILL REMIND US THAT A CRISIS SHOULD NOT CHANGE OUR ZEAL & DEVOTION TO THE LORD. IN FACT, ALL THE MORE DURING THIS CRITICAL TIME WE, CHRISTIANS & FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD JESUS SHOULD DEMONSTRATE A SANE, JOYFUL, & BALANCE ATTITUDE & PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE. I THINK THAT OF ALL PEOPLE, BELIEVERS ARE TO DEMONSTRATE A GOOD TESTIMONY BEFORE THE WATCHING WORLD! AND THAT WE SHOULD BE SHOWING TO THE PEOPLE AROUND US THAT WE ARE LIVING NOT ONLY A JOYFUL & WORSHIPFUL LIFE BUT ALSO AN UNSHAKABLE LIFE! A. WHO IS THE PERSON ACCEPTABLE BEFORE THE LORD! DAVID OPENS HIS PRAYER BY ASKING THE QUESTION – “Lord, who can dwell in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?” NOW, “TENT” ALSO MEANS “SANCTUARY” WHICH REFERS TO THE LORD’S TEMPLE. “HOLY MOUNTAIN” REFERS TO THE “DWELLING PLACE/HOUSE OF THE LORD.” IN THIS VERSE, DAVID IS ACTUALLY ASKING HIS READERS –“WHO MAY HAVE AN INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD & ENJOY HIS PRESENCE! OR TO PUT IT IN ANOTHER WAY, “WHO IS THE ONE ACCEPTABLE BEFORE THE LORD & CAN HAVE FELLOWSHIP & ENJOY THE LORD?” MANY OF US HAS DREAM OF ENTERING THE WESTMINSTER CASTLE & SEE THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND & OF COURSE, KISS HER HAND. BUT HOW MUCH MORE TO SEE THE KING OF KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORD & SEE HIM FACE TO FACE!!! I THINK THIS IS THE DESIRE OF EVERY TRUE “BORN AGAIN” BELIEVER & FOLLOWER OF THE LORD JESUS. IN THE NEXT VERSES, DAVID INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD ANSWERS TO US HIS OWN QUESTION & ENUMERATES THE CHARACTER QUALITIES OF THE PERSON WHO IS ACCEPTABLE & THUS, SUCCESSFUL BEFORE THE LORD OUR GOD. I THINK THAT VERSE 2 IS THE MAIN CHARACTER QUALITY OF THIS PERSON - HE MUST BE A BLAMELESS, RIGHTEOUS PERSON! AND THE SUCCEEDING QUALITIES ARE ELABORATION OF THIS QUALITY! 1) He is the one who lives a blameless & righteous life! “He whose walk is blameless & who does what is righteous…” (v. 2) IN THE O.T. TO BE “BLAMELESS” MEANS TO BE “MORALLY PERFECT” OR TO HAVE “MORAL INTEGRITY/WHOLENESS.” LIKE THE SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS OFFERED TO THE LORD AT THE TEMPLE, IT IS TO BE “WITHOUT DEFECT OR SPOT.” THUS, A “BLAMELESS” IS A PERSON TO WHOM WE CANNOT CHARGE A WRONG-DOING OR GUILT. A “RIGHTEOUS” PERSON IN THE O.T. REFERS TO THE ONE WHO DOES WHAT IS MORALLY & ETHICALLY RIGHT BEFORE GOD. IN OTHER WORDS, HE PERFECTLY OBEYS THE LAWS OF THE LORD. NOTE THAT DAVID DESIRED TO BE ALWAYS “BLAMELESS” BEFORE THE LORD BY CONFESSING HIS SINS BEFORE THE LORD! “Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless & cleansed from blatant rebellion.” (Psalm 19: 12-13) CHURCH/FRIENDS, ARE WE LIVING “BLAMELESS” & “RIGHTEOUS” LIVES NOWADAYS? OR ARE WE LOWERING DOWN OUR GUARD SAYING TO OURSELVES, “PANDEMIC NAMAN, NAINTINDIHAN NI LORD!” “ITS PANDEMIC THE LORD UNDERSTANDS!” 2) He is the one who speaks truth from the heart & a loving lips! “…Who speaks the truth from his heart & has no slander in his tongue!” (vv. 2-3) TAKE NOTE THAT BEGIINING HERE PAUL WILL ELABORATE ON THIS BLAMELESS/RIGHTEOUS LIFE THAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT IN VERSE 2. PAUL IN THE N.T., REMINDS US OF THE SAME – “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ…Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another… No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4: 15, 25, 29) HOW IS OUR SPEECH NOWADAYS? I WANT TO ADMONISH SOME BRETHREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE INTO FACEBOOK. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT IF WE CAN NOT AVOID OR GET OUT OF IT, LET US BE DISCRIMINATING IN WHAT WE ARE POSTING & SHARING IN THAT MEDIA. I OBSERVE THAT SOME OF US ARE SO INFLUENCE & AFFECTED BY SOME POSTINGS THAT WE ARE SUCKED INTO IT & WE ARE POSTINGS WORDS OR COMMENTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE HEARD FROM BELIEVERS. SOME OF US ARE BECOMING ANGREY & HATEFUL AS SEEN IN OUR POSTINGS. ALSO, FACEBOOK IS NOT OUR PERSONAL JOURNAL. LET US BE DISCREET WITH WHAT WE ARE POSTING BECAUSE THE PUBLIC “SEES” US THROUGH THESE POSTS THAT WE WRITE THERE. 3) He is the one who does good & looks for the interest others! “…Who does his neighbor no wrong & cast no slur on his fellowman.” (v. 3) NOTICE THAT DAVID IS TOUCHING ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE BEGINNING FROM THE HEART OR CHARACTER. THEN HE MOVE TO OUR SPEECH AND NOW HERE IN OUR DEEDS OR BEHAVIOR OR ACTION. WE ARE NOT JUST TO THINK OF OURSELVES – OUR NEEDS, OUR RIGHTS, OUR GOOD, BUT WE ARE TO THINK ALSO OF THE GOOD & INTEREST OF OTHERS. THE APOSTLE PAUL AGREES. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus…” (Phil. 2: 3-5) I THINK THIS CHARACTER QUALITY IS ONE OF THOSE QUALITIES THAT ARE BEING TESTED IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS NOWADAYS IN THIS PANDEMIC. BECAUSE THE TENDENCY OF PEOPLE INCLUDING BELIEVERS IS TO BE SELFISH OR SELF- CENTERED. WE LOOK ONLY FOR OUR OWN INTEREST SO WE TAKE ALL THE TISSUES WE COULD GET OR THE DISINFECTANTS THAT WE COULD GET WITHOUT EVER THINKING THAT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WILL NEED IT TOO. WE ALSO BRING THIS TO CHURCH BY IMPOSING WHAT WE BELIEVE IS RIGHT IN OUR EYES NOT REALIZING THAT BELIEVERS DOES NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON GRAY AREAS LIKE WEARING A MASK. IT NOT CLEAR IN THE BIBLE. SO, WE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT OPINION ABOUT IT DEPENDING ON YOUR OWN INFLUENCES. BUT THE WORD OF GOD TEACHES TO BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS - TO BE HUMBLE & THINK ALSO OF THE INTEREST & WELFARE OF OTHER PEOPLE! 4) He is one who hates sin & fears the Lord! “…Who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord…” (v. 4) NOW, DAVID MOVES TO OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SIN OR WICKEDNESS & THE LORD! HE SAYS THAT A PERSON WHO IS PLEASING & HONORING BEFORE THE LORD IS THE ONE WHO HATES SIN & FEARS THE LORD! A VILE PERSON IS ONE WHO IS MORALLY CORRUPT OR EVIL. THE EMPHASIS HERE IS THE WICKEDNESS OF THE PERSON & NOT THE PERSON. AND WE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE BECAUSE SOMEWHERE IN THE BIBLE, WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE EVEN OUR ENEMIES, THOSE PEOPLE THAT DO US WRONG OR HURT US. 5) He is the one who keeps his oath or pledge faithfully! “…Who keeps his oath even when it hurts …” (v. 4) HERE, IN THIS NEXT CHARACTER QUALITY, DAVID TURNS TO OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PLEDGES OR PROMISES WE MAKE TO OTHERS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. AS COMMANDED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, A JEW IS TO FULFILL HIS WORD HE GIVES TO ANOTHER. Moses told the leaders of the Israelite tribes, “This is what the Lord has commanded: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to put himself under an obligation, he must not break his word; he must do whatever he has promised.” (Num. 30: 1-2) JAMES TEACHES US THE SAME PRINCIPLE IN HIS LETTER– “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no,’ so that you won’t fall under judgment.” (James 5: 12) CHURCH/FRIENDS, ARE YOU FAITHFULLY KEEPING YOUR PROMISE TO THE LORD? HAVE YOU BEEN FAITHFUL IN YOUR PROMISE & COMMITMENT TO THE LORD? PERHAPS, YOU HAVE PROMISED THE LORD TO BE REGULAR & FAITH IN YOUR GIVING AT THE START OF The YEAR BEFORE THE COVID? HOW ABOUT NOW? ARE WE DELIVERING OUR PROMISE TO THE LORD? ARE WE BEING FAITHFUL TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THE LORD TO DO & FULFILL? 6) He is the one who gives generously & is not greedy! “…Who lends his money without usury & does not accept a bribe against the innocent…” (v.